We thought that Sony’s latest big boost for the PS4 would be The Last of Us Part II, but it may well be that Ghost of Tsushima steals the show.
Located on Tsushima Island in 1274, this action-adventure game tells the story of the first Mongol invasion of Japan. In the center of the story, Jin Sakai, one of the last living samurai on the island. Faced with the overwhelming strength of the Mongolian Empire, Jin cannot compete without deviating from his code of honor. To prevent an invasion of his country, he will have to adopt a new approach, that of the Phantom, an unconventional fighting style that instills fear in the enemy’s mind. In his quest for revenge and liberation, several characters will support him, others will stand in his way.
To this main narrative arc are added the stories of his fellow travelers. These side missions divided into several parts explore the characters’ past and help the player understand their motivations. The player will also be able to explore the open world of Tsushima at will and come across places to free, enemy camps to destroy, innocents to rescue and many other random events. Allow at least 50 to 60 hours of play.
This whole well-crafted narrative structure is not even the greatest strength of Ghost of Tsushima, which stands out even more with the quality of its combat mechanics. Because here, it is not enough to hammer the buttons to hope to win. The entire combat system offers a depth that deserves attention.
Each victory over the enemy increases the legend of the Ghost Jin Sakai and gives the player points that he can spend on new techniques. These are divided into three large families: samurai, postures and ghost. The “samurai” techniques provide an advantage in hand-to-hand combat, while the “ghost” techniques facilitate stealthy approaches. Both styles of play are rewarded and, apart from a few scripted sequences, you are never forced to use one or the other.
As for postures, the ways in which Jin approaches an adversary, they help you to more easily pierce the defenses of your toughest opponents. Over the course of the story, Jin will also learn other techniques, said to be legendary, which will transform him into a relentless force. All of this may seem complicated at first. However, the speed of progression well balanced and the clear tutorials will encourage you very early to explore all the possibilities that this system has to offer.
Regarding the presentation, Ghost of Tsushima is one of those titles that push PS4 performance to its limits. We are talking about breathtaking decors like Red Dead Redemption II, which lets us admire a refined interface. In Tsushima, it is the wind that guides you, not landmarks that obstruct the screen, which adds to an already convincing atmosphere. Apart from a few graphic bugs, we are entitled to a complete immersive experience. Sucker Punch wanted to make us live a great samurai epic in feudal Japan of the XIIIe century, and it is successful.
–
–
